[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 130 (Monday, October 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1896]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1896]]
                          HONORING BELVA DAVIS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 8, 2004

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legendary career and 
historic achievements of distinguished journalist Belva Davis. On 
October 12, 2004, Belva will be honored by the International Women's 
Media Foundation in Washington, D.C., where she will receive the 
Lifetime Achievement Award at the Foundation's 2004 Courage in 
Journalism Awards.
  Belva began her career in journalism as a freelance writer for Jet 
Magazine in the 1950s. She soon began working as a reporter for various 
African-American owned newspapers such as the Bay Area Independent and 
the San Francisco Sun-Reporter, where she worked as the women's editor. 
After moving on to broadcasting jobs at Bay Area radio stations such as 
KSAN and KDIA, her major career breakthrough took place in 1966, when 
she was hired as a news anchor for KPIX in San Francisco. This was an 
historic achievement not only because she was the first female African-
American television reporter on the West Coast, but also because in 
that capacity, she hosted and helped to create All Together Now, one of 
the country's first primetime public affairs programs to focus on 
ethnic communities. She later moved on to work in public television for 
KQED, where she stayed from 1977 until 1981, during which time she 
hosted A Closer Look and Evening Edition. Belva then took a job with 
KRON, where she worked as an anchor and urban affairs specialist until 
becoming a KRON special projects reporter in 1999.
  Throughout the three decades Belva has spent covering politics and 
community affairs in the Bay Area, she has received numerous awards for 
her outstanding contributions to the field of journalism. In addition 
to winning six regional Emmy Awards, she has received two honorary 
doctoral degrees, as well the Northern California Chapter of the 
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' highest lifetime 
achievement award, the Governor's Award, in 1996. Belva has also 
received lifetime achievement awards from the National Association of 
Black Journalists and the Peralta Community College District, as well 
as the Golden Gadfly Award from the Media Alliance. In addition, her 
documentary, ``Yankee Come Back,'' won a prestigious National 
Television Award, and she is currently one of only 500 journalists to 
be profiled in the national NEWSEUM. Furthermore, Belva is widely 
recognized not only as a labor activist and supporter of African-
American culture and history, but has also played a pivotal role as a 
journalist in communicating information regarding Cuba's culture, 
politics, and relationship with the United States to the American 
public.
  On this very special occasion, I would like to commend Belva's 
exceptional achievements not only in the field of journalism, but also 
for her tireless work as an advocate for social justice and public 
awareness regarding issues that, before her time, had long been ignored 
by most media outlets. Throughout her career, Belva has repeatedly 
demonstrated her unwavering commitment to the people of the Bay Area 
and the issues that are most important to them. On behalf of the Ninth 
Congressional District, I salute and congratulate her not only for her 
courage as a journalist, but also for the invaluable contribution she 
has made to the Bay Area, the State of California, our entire country, 
and the world.

                          ____________________